Snap-on closure



May 5, 1942. J. J. WILLIAMS SNAP-ON CLOSURE Filed Nov. '7, 1938 Patented May 5, 1942 SNAP-N CLOSURE John J. Williams, Wheeling, W. Va., assignor to Hazel-Atlas Glass Company, Wheeling, a corporation of West Virginia Application November I, 1938, Serial No.239,3 4 6- 8 Claims. 01. 215-38) The invention relates to closures for glass containers and particularly to closures of the snap-on type, which are secured in sealing position by snapping over a bead or other finish on the glass containers.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a closure of this typewhich is extremely simple in construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closure of this type so constructed that it centers itself upon the container and is not easily dislodged while handling, prior to sealing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closure of this type which is easily removed when the container is to be opened.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from the following detailed description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure l is a perspective view of the closure.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the closure resting on the mouth of a glass container, ready to be forced to sealing position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the closure in sealing position, and

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the closure and container.

Referring to the drawing in more detail, nu-

meral I indicates the mouth portion of a container, which may be a bottle, jar, tumbler, or other glass container. The rim ofthe container is provided with an annular bead or finish 2, which'is substantially semi-circular in crosssection, in the specific embodiment illustrated.

The closure, which is adapted to snap over the bead 2, is referred to generally by the numeral 3. The top 4, of the closure, is fiat, and may be provided with an annular groove or channel 5.

The skirt of the closure is inclined inwardly and downwardly from the fiat top, as indicated by numeral 6, and then the skirt is flared outwardly, as indicated by numeral I. In other words, the construction of the skirt is such that it is V-shaped, in cross-section throughout its extent. This V-shaped groove, formed by the inturned skirt portion 6 and the flared skirt portion I, is indicated by numeral 8.

The interior diameter of the annular V-shaped groove is greater than the diameter of the glass finish 2, so that the V-shaped groove passes freely over the glass finish. At spaced intervals struck lugs 9. These lugs are also V-shaped in cross-section, .and in effect are-deepened portions of the annular v-shaped groove 8. In the specific embodiment illustrated, there are three of the lugs 9, equally spaced about the cap skirt, and they are of considerable length, but of course the invention is not limited to any particular length or number of lugs.

Numeral i0 refers to a ring of sealing composition, or gasket, which is positioned on .the inside top of the closure, between the annular groove 5 and the inclined skirt portion 6, whereby the gasket is securely maintained in place.

The bottom of the cap skirt, that is, the edge of the flared portion 1, may be provided with an incurled head, or an outcurled bead, or it may be left plain as shown.

When containers are to be sealed, the closures are loosely placed on the containers, as shown in Figure 3. In large scale sealing operations of the present day the closures must be handled very rapidly, and the present invention greatly facilitates such handling. The flared skirt portion 'I of the closure makes the open end of the closure much larger than the glass finish, so that the closures can be applied to the containers with greater rapidity than is possible where the size of the open end oithe closure is such that it must be carefully placed on the container. Further, the flared skirt portion acts as a tapering guide wall to accurately center the closure on the container, with the lugs 9 resting on the top thereof, as shown in Figure 3. Also, the containers have to be handled in the sealing operation, after the closures are loosely applied, and of course the flared skirt depending below the top of the glass container, prevents the accidental displacement of the closure during such handling.

To seal the container, with the closure positioned as in Figure 3, it is only necessary to apply sufllcient pressure to the-flat top of the closure to force the lugs 9 over the glass head or finish 2. Of course the closure is adapted to seal containers in vacuum or otherwise.

In sealing the container, the lugs are not compressed, but the skirt of the cap, which is of thin metal, is caused to spring, as clearly shown in Figure 5. The extent the skirt is caused to spring, depends upon the size oi. the glass finish, and thus the closure is adapted to efflciently seal glass containers in which the finish varies in size within normal limits, that is, within the allowed tolerance.

about the annular v-shaped groove, are inwardly Another important feature of the closure disclosed herein, is that it is easily removed from the container. It will be noted that the inwardly inclined skirt portion 9 provides a most efficient grip for the fingers in raising one side of the closure from the container, and at the same time the flared skirt portion 1 is particularly adaptable to the application of any desired implement to assist in freeing the closure.

The closure disclosed herein possesses numerous advantages over prior closures of the snapon type. It is inexpensive in manufacture, emcient in operation, holds the sealing gasket firmly in position, centers itself upon the container, fits varying sizes of glass containers within the allowed tolerance, and may be easily removed, both the inwardly inclined skirt portion 6 and the flared skirt portion i cooperating to that end.

Having fully described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A metallic closure having a top portion and a depending skirt portion, an annular" groove in the skirt portion, horizontal lugs extending inwardly of said groove and adapted to snap over a bead on a container, and the skirt being flared throughout its periphery below the lugs, for the purpose described.

2. A metallic closure having a top portion and 9. depending skirt portion, an annular V-shaped groove in the skirt portion, horizontal lugs extending inwardly of said groove and adapted to snap over a bead on a container, and the skirt being flared throughout its periphery below the lugs, for the purpose described.

3. A metallic closure having a top portion and a depending skirt portion, an annular V-shaped groove in the skirt portion, horizontal V-shaped lugs extending inwardly of the V-shaped groove and adapted to snap over a bead on a container, and the skirt being flared throughout its periphery below the lugs, for the: purpose described;

4. A metallic closure having a flat top portion, a skirt portion inclined downwardly and inwardly from the top portion, and a second skirt portion flared outwardly throughout its extent from the first-mentioned skirt portion, and circumterentially spaced horizontal lugs projecting inwardly above the flared skirt portion.

5. A metallic closure having a flat top portion. an annular groove in the top portion, a skirt portion inclined downwardly and inwardly from the top portion, a sealing gasket inside the closure between the annular groove and the inclined skirt portion, circumferentially spaced horizontal lugs projecting inwardly of the inclined skirt portion, and a second skirt portion extending below the first-mentioned skirt portion and flared throughout its extent.

6. A metallic closure having a fiat top portion, a skirt portion inclined inwardly and downwardly from the fiat top, circumferentially spaced horizontal lugs projecting inwardly of the inclined skirt portion and adapted to rest on the mouth of a glass container prior to scaling, and an outwardly flared skirt portion extending from the first-mentioned skirt portion, said outwardly flared portion projecting below the glass finish prior to sealing.

7. A package comprising a glass container, an annular bead adjacent the mouth ofv the container, and a snap-on closure fitted over the glass bead, said closure having a fiat top portion, a skirt portion inclined downwardly and inwardly from the top portion, circumferentially spaced horizontal lugs projecting inwardly of said inclined skirt portion and fitted under the annular glass bead, and an outwardly 'flared skirt portion extending downwardly from the first-mentioned skirt portion.

8. A package comprising a glass container, an annular bead adjacent the mouth of the container, said glass bead being substantially semicircular in cross-section, and a snap-on closure fitted over the glass bead, said closure having a flat top portion, an annular groove in the top portion, a skirt portion inclined downwardly and inwardly from the top portion, a sealing gasket inside the closure between the annular groove and the inclined skirt portion, circumi'erentially spaced horizontal lugs projecting inwardly 01' said inclined skirt portion and fitted under the annular glass bead, and an outwardly flared skirt portion extending downwardly from the first-mentioned skirt portion.

JOHN J. WILLIAMS. 

